Tethered to Hope: The Quiet Kindness of God in Crisis, Change, and the Spaces in Between

by Adriel Booker

When the initial shock waves begin to settle after a job loss, a diagnosis, a relationship breakdown, a season of grief or intense change, or a jarring shift in faith or identity, we find ourselves in the crisis after the crisis--the aftermath of whatever it is that has splayed our hearts wide open. These lonely, liminal spaces between who we were and who we're becoming are disorienting and confusing. It can be hard to hold on to hope when our bearings feel illusive.

But crises aren't just events that happen to us; they are catalysts--turning points--that happen around and within us, demanding we grow into a new version of ourselves. There is worth to be found in these liminal spaces, but we have to pause long enough to absorb what the middle actually is--put some language around it, locate ourselves within it, and orient ourselves to its disposition and ambition.

In the exhausting tension between here and there where pain and confusion feel loud, Adriel Booker helps you perceive God's quiet kindness that has been there all along, hidden in plain sight on the underside of crisis, change, and all the spaces in between. Adriel lights a candle in your darkness and companions you as you adjust to the low light and begin to apprehend the reality that you're already tethered to hope--even when you feel anything but.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Adriel Booker is the author of Tethered to Hope and Grace Like Scarlett and has appeared in outlets such as Christianity Today and ABC Religion & Ethics. She writes the popular Substack—The Foundry—and believes the best things in life happen while gathered around the table. Adriel lives with her family among the gum trees and sea breezes of a small town on Ngarrindjeri Country in South Australia, where they own and operate a café, vintage shop, and co-working studio for creatives.

Reviews

[Chris Adams]

This is a book about what to do after the crisis, how to put the pieces back together after things have gone terribly wrong. Adriel, with her stunning writing, helps you to put your finger on and name the many emotions that come in the aftermath of disappointment, change, deconstruction, and crisis. With moving vulnerability she leads the reader on a journey, maybe not out the other side, maybe not even to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but at least to believe that there is a light on the other side. I found Adriel to be a compassionate and wise guide through a journey of discovery and processing from cover to cover.

There are not many books that I put on my ‘read-again’ list, but this is already there. This is a book full of hard-won insights, that I’m already recommending widely.

[Ray441]

I read Adriel Booker's writings on Substack religiously. She captivates me with her words of wisdom, peace and, frankly, with words that I could imagine Jesus saying. Not the words of the ludicrous Jesus of the American fascists, but the Jesus who gave us the Sermon on the Mount and the Jesus whose longest recorded conversation was with a Samaritan woman.

In Tethered to Hope, Ms. Booker doesn't offer the usual clichés or easy answers. Instead, she sits with you in the 'liminal space'—that confusing gap between who you were and who you are becoming. Her writing on the 'quiet kindness of God' helped me put my thoughts into precise words. I must have said "That's it!" a dozen times while reading this book.

It’s a poetic and sturdy companion for anyone whose heart has been torn open. Especially for those living in these surreal times and wondering "where are we going and why are we in this hand basket," the book provides anchor points of thought.

Tethered to Hope is a profound exploration of spiritual formation in the middle of upheaval. Ms. Booker masterfully reframes crisis not just as something that happens to us, but as a catalyst for deep transformation. I particularly appreciated her work on the 'Art of Examen' and her 'Tether' metaphor-which she describes not as a restrictive leash, but as a life-sustaining connection to God. For those wrestling with doubt or a jarring shift in faith, this book offers a rare combination of raw vulnerability and theological depth without ever feeling preachy.

This is not just a book that I will re-read, it is one that I will reference through the years.

[Matthew Ross]

Tethered to Hope speaks directly to what Booker calls the “crisis after the crisis”—that disorienting space after loss, change, or upheaval where life doesn’t feel normal anymore, but isn’t fully rebuilt yet.

Rather than rushing readers toward resolution, the book lingers in that in-between space and reframes it as a place where God is still quietly at work.

I was reminded again and again that I am already tethered to hope—even when I don’t feel it.

The author emphasizes that hope isn’t something we have to create or muster. It’s something we are already connected to because of God’s presence, even in confusion, grief, or uncertainty.

I was excited that this book made me slow down and sit in the middle—the space between who I was and who I’m becoming.

I read the book, but enjoyed the audiobook so much better to hear how Booker wanted the tone to be. Booker doesn’t write as an expert with answers, but as a guide walking alongside. She’s described her role more like a “cartographer,” mapping the terrain she’s walked herself.
The key theme: God is not absent in the chaos—He is present in subtle, often overlooked ways beneath it.

Tethered to Hope is less about fixing your situation and more about helping you see God within it. It offers a steady, reassuring message: even in the most disorienting seasons, you are not drifting—you are still held. And this is a message that I need to hear over and over again.

[Tressa]

If you’re feeling unmoored and could use a dose of solidarity and someone who will believe for you until you can believe for yourself that you are already tethered to hope and tethered to God, this book is exactly what you’re looking for. Between Adriel’s own experiences and drawing on a depth of wisdom from the great cloud of witnesses, you will feel less alone. KJ Ramsey says that hope is a team sport, and I believe that everyone needs someone like Adriel not only on their team, but captain of it. May you always remember that you are already tethered to hope and that it will never let you go.

[Lauren Thurston]

I am very grateful to have read this book early as a part of the launch team. Thank you NetGalley and Baker for making it possible!
What a tender and gentle invitation to see where God already is (with us) in our in-between spaces. Rather than offer simple solutions, Adriel instead is an empathetic companion, asking careful questions and pointing out profound truths. I leave this book feeling encouraged that God is holding me and curious to look a little more closely at what God is doing in my own imperfect story.

[Robin Chapman]

Tethered to Hope was the right book at the right time for me. In perpetual, overlapping liminal seasons for years now, I can hardly remember the person who knew what she believed, what she was doing, and how. But as the transitions, overhauls, and crises keep hitting, I have no idea who I'm going to be on the other side, either, or if there even is an "other side" or if life is just incessant alteration from here on out. But Adriel's words anchored me, offering the kind reminder that hope and love hold me fast, whether I can see it or not, whether I believe it or not.

[Abigail English]

Great book for anyone navigating the pain and weariness of this world we live in.

Adriel has written a life giving book that provides much needed air to these tired lungs. She used gentle language that feels like a long conversation with a safe friend over a cuppa.

Being reminded that I am always tethered to hope, no matter the circumstances, is encouraging, reorienting, and restorative.

I strongly recommend for anyone struggling to feel the presence of the Lord.

[Kris]

Tethered to Hope offers us the companionship and understanding needed when we are moving between hard places in life. Adriel Booker thoughtfully guides us with images, stories and scripture to help us navigate the in-between when God's presence and direction may not be clear. This book has encouraged me to pause, reflect, embrace life's losses and remain in a posture of humility and surrender so I could see God's gentle hand in my life.

[Jean]

An excellent, thoughtfully written book with helpful insights that invite us to trust in God’s tender, merciful heart even through rough seasons of life. Adriel Booker reminds us that we remain tethered to God and always have reason to hope even when we’re falling apart or struggling with our faith. The book offers encouraging comfort in how it highlights God’s compassion and mercy through stories from Booker’s life and insights from other wise Christian writers. An uplifting read!

[Kelli]

An absolute gem of a book! The author's gentle approach was refreshing and she offers a safe space to ask hard questions! So many Christian atmospheres don't allow for doubts but this one does. She reminds us no matter how we feel, we are still held by God and He doesn't condemn us for our doubts and questions. Highly recommend this thought-providing book

[Rachael]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC. This is easily the best book I've read this year. It's tender and gentle whilst communicating challenge and encouragement for living in the aftermath.

[Emily]

3.5 stars

[Dennis Ticen]

What are you tethered to? What gives you hope? Those are the questions the author of this book is wrestling with. In liminal spaces (an important idea in the book) and in times of great change, what is it that helps us go on? Gently, compassionately and with a heat of understanding, this author shares some of her life and also what got her through. She believes and argues for the kindness of God as the tether that holds us. And, as she reminds us often, we're already tethered to that kindness. We just have to recognize it and accept it. The book is practical and yet not preachy or overwhelming. It's an easy, yet challenging, read. I highly recommend it!

[Anna Kettle]

What a beautiful, hope-filled and freeing book! It made me feel so seen in my own struggles with faith following some disappointments, and reading it felt like a real breath of fresh air. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

[Emma Hahn]

This book has been a gift I slowly savored with joy.

Finally, a guide with faith-formed language for traversing the narrow spaces of life, the “crisis after the crisis” & locating God’s quiet kindnesses along the way.

Thank you, Adriel, for the gift of your words.